“If I Were the Devil” By Paul Harvey

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Long time radio newsman/commentator Paul Harvey created the original of this homily, If I were the Devil, on April 3 1965. It was updated as the years went by and therefore versions of it vary over time. It is a warning to America about its own decay.

Transcript

โ€œIf I were the devil โ€ฆ If I were the Prince of Darkness, Iโ€™d want to engulf the whole world in darkness. And Iโ€™d have a third of its real estate, and four-fifths of its population, but I wouldnโ€™t be happy until I had seized the ripest apple on the tree โ€” Thee. So Iโ€™d set about however necessary to take over the United States. Iโ€™d subvert the churches first โ€” Iโ€™d begin with a campaign of whispers. With the wisdom of a serpent, I would whisper to you as I whispered to Eve: โ€˜Do as you please.

To the young, I would whisper that โ€˜The Bible is a myth.โ€™ I would convince them that man created God instead of the other way around. I would confide that whatโ€™s bad is good, and whatโ€™s good is โ€˜square.โ€™ And the old, I would teach to pray, after me, โ€˜Our Father, which art in Washingtonโ€ฆ

And then Iโ€™d get organized. Iโ€™d educate authors in how to make lurid literature exciting, so that anything else would appear dull and uninteresting. Iโ€™d threaten TV with dirtier movies and vice versa. Iโ€™d pedal narcotics to whom I could. Iโ€™d sell alcohol to ladies and gentlemen of distinction. Iโ€™d tranquilize the rest with pills.

If I were the devil Iโ€™d soon have families at war with themselves, churches at war with themselves, and nations at war with themselves; until each in its turn was consumed. And with promises of higher ratings Iโ€™d have mesmerizing media fanning the flames. If I were the devil I would encourage schools to refine young intellects, but neglect to discipline emotions โ€” just let those run wild, until before you knew it, youโ€™d have to have drug sniffing dogs and metal detectors at every schoolhouse door.

Within a decade Iโ€™d have prisons overflowing, Iโ€™d have judges promoting pornography โ€” soon I could evict God from the courthouse, then from the schoolhouse, and then from the houses of Congress. And in His own churches I would substitute psychology for religion, and deify science. I would lure priests and pastors into misusing boys and girls, and church money. If I were the devil Iโ€™d make the symbols of Easter an egg and the symbol of Christmas a bottle.

If I were the devil Iโ€™d take from those who have, and give to those who want until I had killed the incentive of the ambitious.

And what do you bet I could get whole states to promote gambling as the way to get rich? I would caution against extremes and hard work in Patriotism, in moral conduct. I would convince the young that marriage is old-fashioned, that swinging is more fun, that what you see on the TV is the way to be. And thus, I could undress you in public, and I could lure you into bed with diseases for which there is no cure. In other words, if I were the devil Iโ€™d just keep right on doing what heโ€™s doing.โ€

Paul Harvey, good day.

The Thinking Conservative
The Thinking Conservativehttps://www.thethinkingconservative.com/
The goal of THE THINKING CONSERVATIVE is to help us educate ourselves on conservative topics of importance to our freedom and our pursuit of happiness. We do this by sharing conservative opinions on all kinds of subjects, from all types of people, and all kinds of media, in a way that will challenge our perceptions and help us to make educated choices.

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